Could someone tell me the best/cheapest place to purchase surefire 123 bateries online.  Thanks

The best place would likely be an AR15.com supporting SureFire Dealer.
Or you could buy them directly from SureFire.

If you by in small quantities (say only 72 at a time) then you still get the free shipping.
In the past I used far more SF123As then I do currently so usually half a dozen SF72BB 'bricks' will now see me through the year

I've gotten past buying genuine Surefire batteries. Too much cash for them.

I'll be exclusively using Energizer Lithium Photo batteries from now on.  They're a lot more reasonably priced, made in USA, and every bit as good.

www.brightflashlights.net
^AR15.com Industry Partner

i buy mine from amondo tech

at a buck a battery and they last as long as those silly surefire ones ..

jon..

BrightFlashlights here in the Industry section will most likely have the best price anywhere but he also sells 123A Battery Station batteries which are equal to performance of Surefires but are a good bit cheaper.  

+1 for the Battery Station batteries!

Battery Station works fine for me too, but I would prefer to buy an American made battery for a very slight premium price.

Thanks everyone, just order some today.

Order them from Surefire direct.
Free shipping if you buy over $100

+ 1 for the Battery Station Batteries and Brightflashlights.

I haven't been very pleased with the Battery Station batteries.  They don't seem to last as long, and I got a few duds as well.  I bought them direction from Battery Station.  I'll be buying SF brands CR123As when I go to stock up next.

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Quoted: i buy mine from amondo tech at a buck a battery and they last as long as those silly surefire ones ..

I to have been using the batteries from Amondo Tech with great results.  You can't beat them for the price.

I have found a watch repair supply house that sells batteries to me for wholesale prices.  I can't remember how much I paid but it was a lot cheaper than anywhere else I found.  

The Amondo Tech batteries are also available "matched" from a production lot run which is a nice little bonus.  

Batteries and just about anything that is manufactuered in lots can vary from lot to lot.  The possibility exists that bulk batteries from different lots are mixed and you just get a scooped handful tossed into a box you purchase.  Therefore, there is a very minimal, but possible chance that when you install 2+ batteries  into a device, they might have significant differences in internal resistance that force one battery to excessively draw more current than the other to the point of failure.

I also think its possible places like Surefire or Streamlight just get labels slapped on 123's already being produced by a battery manufacturer.  It would seem rather expensive to supplement your company with a battery manufacturing plant and crawl through all the EPA loops when you can just get your label on some high quality product already being manufactured on an OEM level.

The last brick of 50 Battery Station 123 cells that I purchased contained one dead cell and all of them varied in voltage.  Checking them out of the box ranged from 2.9 to 3.7v.  I started checking when my incandescent lights seemed to be yellow and dull from the start.  The last brick of Surefire batteries that I bought all had a consistent voltage of 3.22 to 3.25.

So for my regulated led's... bs's are just fine.  But for the incandescent lamps, I use SF.

Quoted: The last brick of 50 Battery Station 123 cells that I purchased contained one dead cell and all of them varied in voltage.  Checking them out of the box ranged from 2.9 to 3.7v.  I started checking when my incandescent lights seemed to be yellow and dull from the start.  The last brick of Surefire batteries that I bought all had a consistent voltage of 3.22 to 3.25. So for my regulated led's... bs's are just fine.  But for the incandescent lamps, I use SF.

+1 -- I only trust SFs batteries after my experiences with the Battery Station ones.  Name-brand doesn't matter all the time, but in this instance it definitely pays to spend a bit more.

Quoted: Could someone tell me the best/cheapest place to purchase surefire 123 bateries online.  Thanks

I don't buy them anymore.  Join www.candlepowerforums.com.  Then go to http://www.batterystation.com/cpf2.htm and get the Battery Station CR123s for a buck each (scroll 3/4 down).  They have been tested by Candlepower Forums members.  They are good batteries, particularly good for the money.

EDIT - I wasn't aware of the issues mentioned above, but I don't use my incandescents much anymore.